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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Two More Olympic Events for May - Tonight and Saturday

And no, we're not talking the discus or shot put . . . something more like the high hurdles and sprint, with a bit of the hammer throw added in when our mayor and his disciples get involved.

Here are two more 2016 Chicago Olympics events:

Tonight, Thursday May 14th, the U.S. Green Building Council is hosting 2016 President Lori Healy and The Climate Group's Allison Hannon talking about all the wonderful things the 2016 Olympics will bring to Chicago. Evening begins with networking and appetizers at 5:30, with the program at 6:45, at Hermann Hall, IIT. As I write this, there were still about 71 spots open for registration. Info here.

Then on Saturday, May 16th, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m., there'll be a community meeting at the Washington Park Refectory, 55th and King Drive. Chicago Park District historian Julia Bachrach will "review the history of Washington Park and comment on its historic value. There will be a discussion of the effects of the 2016 Olympic Games on Washington Park's historic integrity." Info here.

And on Sunday, you can get an idea of the kind of damage that city's rush to the Olympics might bring with a free tour ($10.00 suggested donation to fund continuing research) of the historic Michael Reese hospital campus, including the irreplaceable Bauhaus-inspired Reginald Isaacs/Walter Gropius buildings that are among nearly 30 structures the city is rushing to wipe off the face of the earth, perhaps as early as July, to create a scorched-earth tabula rasa for a billion dollar athletes village. The tour begins at 2:00 p.m, Sunday, May 17th, under the brick archway that spans 29th Street at South Ellis. Info here.

And if it takes a village, what does a village take? Check out this Crain's Chicago Business report on a talk by 2016 bid committee head Cassandra Francis. Eight athletes in a two bedroom condo using temporary walls. And kitchens will either have to be "walled off" or made inoperable because - fun fact - the IOC proscribes athletes eating anywhere but the official dining halls. Before the economic meltdown, lenders might finance up to 90% of the cost of a megaproject like this - now it's more like 60 - 70%. One developer is quoted in Crain's that "someone's going to have to come to the table to fill the void." Let's see, just who could that be, I wonder, momentarily channeling Dana Carvey's Church Lady, hmmmmmmmmm, could it be . . . . . . TAXPAYERS??? Would a Chicago Olympics actually learn from the debacle of Block 37, or simply be its next reincarnation? Here's hoping having the bid committee headed up by a Cassandra is a fact completely devoid of prophetic overlay.

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. . . writings on architecture have appeared in the Chicago Reader, Metropolis Magazine, the Harvard Design Magazine, and the backs of discarded gum wrappers.
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